BBC Facing Questions of Eligibility

Andy Murray may well have made an interesting piece of history last year when he won the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, although at the time no one knew it.

If Scotland votes for its independence he may well be the last Scottish recipient of the award.

The word is the BBC who have started planning for the event are in a quandary as to whether Scottish athletes should be in the running for the award this year. It is understandable that they may not be in the future, but for most of 2014 Scotland will have been a part of the United Kingdom and so many believe that the athletes who have excelled should in fact still be eligible for nomination.

Three athletes who may miss out as a result of the referendum result are Paralympic sprinter Maria Kyle who is just 14 years of age but has been breaking records for fun. Also Errald Davies who was the youngest winner of a Commonwealth Games medal aged 13, who along with Maria are contenders for the Young Personality award.

Commonwealth Gold medallists Hannah Miley and Eildh Child are two possible contenders for the main prize.

To make matters even more confusing for the BBC, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy who would be one of the front runners for the main award is rumoured to have been scratched from the running next year, not this however, as he has opted to represent Ireland at the inaugural Olympic Golf tournament rather than the United Kingdom. Will that affect his chances this year? Who knows.

One has to feel for the BBC that in its 60th year the award should be faced with such a dilemma. No doubt though a decision will be made and another worthy winner’s name will go on the trophy alongside the likes of Murray, Stirling Moss, Henry Cooper, Coe and Ovett, Ian Botham, Daley Thompson, David Beckham and Bradley Wiggins.